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It's starting to look like this is the thread that will go on forever! So I would like to insert 2 points that are tangentially related to the overall subject:1. What this forum seems to be lacking is anyone with direct knowledge of the Murano community. We've got experts galore on Scottish paperweights, lots and lots of expertise on French paperweights (even crouching bunnies and tadpoles!), people with intimate knowledge of Millville... We have a number of significant paperweight makers contributing! If anyone out there knows someone actually in the Murano community, I would beg you to attempt to get that person involved!

2. China - like Bohemia, this is becoming a generic term. When we discuss China, are we referring to Taiwan or to the mainland? Are there specific areas known for their glass or paperweight production? Are there actually any known Chinese paperweight makers who produce or have produced quality/collectible weights as opposed to the "contract" mass produced weights or the forgeries?

It may be that these are appropriate topics for new threads. It may also be that I'm offbase completely on whether these are topics of interest. Mostly, I just felt the urge to type!

ps - thanks to the administration for apparently having deleted that objectionable sex posting. I got suckered into looking at it, but by the time I knew what it was it had disappeared from the menu. Good work!

Due to lack of research into Chinese glass production, and other countries, there is very little detailed knowledge. It is an area crying our for academic research. Bringing these other countries into the documented sphere will give those makers a chance to promote themselves instead of relying on anonymous overseas contracts.

However, some people have obtained catalogues of Chines production and identified some websites of glassmakers. Language is obviously a big stumbling block as is distance for most researchers. I would have thought it likely that Japanes weight collectors have more detailed knowledge bu that probably just adds another level of language abstraction.

Don't know that the signature is similar, but it shows very clearly so wrightoutlook can certainly tell better.

The site attributes the weight to "Eric Schneider of Abednego Glass Art in Williamsburg, Virginia". It seems that "Abednego" refers to some form of glass beads - don't know whether it refers to the maker or the style.

Thanks to all for the continuing comments. These kinds of threads are extremely helpful and are one of the key resources people will be able to use to help identify paperweights.

The posted photos of the signed Schneider contemporary American paperweights have a signature dissimilar from the one I and another member (Mark) have. And I think I can safely say that the pedestal is older and of a completely different glassmaking style than the more modern weights shown in the posting. Our signature has more of a formal template appearance - as if a mold had been made of the signature and then impressed faintly into the glass. But with his comments, Frank may have taken that "mold" concept out of the equation.

I am going to post a reference to this thread on the Murano Board and hope that Murano collectors will take a look at the photographs and commentary.

I am very interested to know that a needle-etched signature similar to the one I have is attributable to Schneider from 1918-1930 as Frank has posted.

Somewhere, somebody was making these paperweights and people have them in their collections. In fact, because of the faintness of the signature on the bottom of the smoothly finished and highly polished base, there may be many others who have these pedestals and have never actually seen the signature.

I'm also posting another, albeit sharper, image of the pedestal weight to help in the search.

No, I didn't miss it in scrolling. I read everything very carefully as I am trying to learn. :oops: The reason that I posted the link, was to substantiate the fact that there are other Murano paperweights out there, in different styles, that are also signed Schneider.

Logged

If I know, I'll comment. If I think I know, I'll have a go. If I have no idea, I'll just keep quiet and learn from others, so the next time I'll know.

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